Diane McCarter is the founder of Furlined, one of the most respected production companies in the industry.

In this episode, Diane reflects on leadership, power, and what it really means to build a culture where people can do their best work.

She shares her journey from early leadership at Ridley Scott Associates to founding Furlined, navigating fear, responsibility, and reinvention along the way. We talk about women in leadership, servant leadership, the role of trust, and why a company’s culture is shaped by everyone who enters it.

Diane also discusses Manifest Works, her nonprofit creating career pathways for people impacted by foster care, homelessness, and incarceration, and why leadership at its best is an act of service.

This is a conversation about growth, empathy, creative courage, and building something that lasts.

Carmen Rodriguez didn’t get her first job in advertising by talking about advertising.

She got it by talking about soccer.

In this episode of Second Wind, Gully Flowers and Kerrie Finch sit down with Carmen Rodriguez, Global Chief Growth Officer at GUT, to unpack a career built on passion, trust, and a deep belief in the power of creativity.

Born in São Paulo and now based in Amsterdam, Carmen shares how growing up in Brazil shaped her view of advertising as part of popular culture, why bravery isn’t a personality trait but a practice, and how GUT has grown from a bold idea into one of the most talked-about agencies in the world.

They cover:

• The interview that launched her career at Leo Burnett at age 17

• Why GUT “interviews” clients before pitching

• The “bravery gap” between people and brands

• How long-term client relationships outperform short-term wins

• Why “the best advertising for an agency is still the work”

• What hybrid work, diversity, and trust actually look like inside a modern creative company

• And why Carmen’s definition of success is simple: work that works, and work your aunt would share on WhatsApp

A conversation about growth without cynicism, creativity without ego, and why conviction still compounds.

This episode of Second Wind breaks from our usual interviews to reflect on 2025 and the people who actually built reputation in the advertising industry.

We introduce a set of intentionally made-up awards to recognize the agencies and marketers who stood out this year. The slow burns. The breakout hits. The teams that thrived in chaos. The ones who made invisible work visible.

Along the way, we talk about what reputation really compounds today.

Point of view. Taste. Talent. Timing.

And why memorability is no longer accidental.

If you care about where advertising is headed, and what actually lasts, this episode is for you.